3.1 Phillip Lim / Spring 2011 RTW

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Last season Phillip Lim pared down the look of his 3.1 Phillip Lim collection, and for spring he moved even further in that minimalist direction. “Reduction and removing the things that don’t matter” is how he described his new approach several days before the show. That down-to-the-bone aesthetic served him well. His look was cleaner than in the past, and overall, the collection had a lot more focus.

Working wonders with a fleet of simple but clever pieces, Lim sent out a collection built to boost any wardrobe, from a shrunken camel sweater with its back made of draped crepe to a sheer chiffon blouse secreting a built-in illusion bustier. A series of aprons in leather or in crepe were mixed and mingled throughout—worn over pants or under a well-tailored jacket to turn any look cool. Of course, considering this layering technique, the show could have been styled a thousand different ways, and that’s good news. There was so much to choose from, and Lim was especially smart to provide an ample supply of great clothes that a fashion-loving woman could actually wear to the office. For evening, his selection echoed the neutral palette of the rest, with muted tones Lim called “colors that live in the shadows.” (What looked especially charming there was his black dress done up with panels of black leather paillettes.)

Lim seems to have hit his stride in the contemporary market and is evolving his business in an interesting way. But at any price, this collection was simply about great clothes.